ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, December 23, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, December 23, 2011

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Chemists solve an 84-year-old theory on how molecules move energy after light absorption (December 22, 2011) -- The same principle that causes figure skaters to spin faster as they draw their arms into their bodies has now been used by researchers to understand how molecules move energy around following the absorption of light. Scientists now demonstrate for the first time the effect is real and also suggests how scientists could use it to control and predict chemical reaction pathways in general. ... > full story

New model to design better flu shots proposed (December 22, 2011) -- The flu shot, typically the first line of defense against seasonal influenza, could better treat the US population, thanks to new research. ... > full story

Built-in 'self-destruct timer' causes ultimate death of messenger RNA in cells (December 22, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered the first known mechanism by which cells control the survival of messenger RNA (mRNA) -- arguably biology's most important molecule. The findings pertain to mRNAs that help regulate cell division and could therefore have implications for reversing cancer's out-of-control cell division. ... > full story

Long intervening non-coding RNAs play pivotal roles in brain development (December 22, 2011) -- Scientists have identified conserved, long intervening non-coding RNAs that play key roles during brain development in zebrafish, and went on to show that the human versions of these RNAs can substitute for the zebrafish lincRNAs. Until now, lincRNAs have been studied primarily in cell lines rather than at the organismal level, which has precluded research into how lincRNAs affect growth and development. ... > full story

Reclaiming land after a forest fire (December 22, 2011) -- Researchers treated burnt soil with an organic polymer used in agriculture. Applying granules of the non-toxic polymer cut soil erosion by half in both laboratory and field experiments. ... > full story

Computer vision research: Do you see what I see? (December 22, 2011) -- A question confronting neuroscientists and computer vision researchers alike is how objects can be identified by simply "looking" at an image. But teaching a computer to "know" what it's looking at is far harder. Scientists have now modeled human brain structure to develop better programming approaches for computer object identification. ... > full story

Starlings help explain irrational preferences (December 22, 2011) -- Research into decision-making by European starlings may help explain why many animals, including humans, sometimes exhibit irrational preferences. ... > full story

Brain size may predict risk for early Alzheimer's disease (December 22, 2011) -- New research suggests that, in people who don't currently have memory problems, those with smaller regions of the brain's cortex may be more likely to develop symptoms consistent with very early Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

First ever direct measurement of Earth's rotation (December 22, 2011) -- Scientists have just plotted changes in Earth's axis through laboratory measurements. To do this, they constructed the world's most stable ring laser. Previously, scientists were only able to track shifts in the axis indirectly by monitoring fixed objects in space. Capturing these shifts is crucial for navigation systems. ... > full story

Personalized treatment for Crohn's Disease a step closer following gene mapping (December 22, 2011) -- Three new locations for Crohn's Disease genes have been uncovered using a novel gene mapping approach. ... > full story

High genetic diversity in an ancient Hawaiian clone (December 22, 2011) -- The entire Hawaiian population of the peat moss Sphagnum palustre appears to be a clone that has been in existence for some 50,000 years, researchers have discovered. ... > full story

Changes in London taxi drivers' brains driven by acquiring 'the Knowledge' (December 22, 2011) -- Acquiring 'the Knowledge' – the complex layout of central London's 25,000 streets and thousands of places of interest – causes structural changes in the brain and changes to memory in the capital's taxi drivers, new research has shown. ... > full story

New particle at Large Hadron Collider discovered by ATLAS Experiment (December 22, 2011) -- Researchers have made the first clear observation of a new particle at the Large Hadron Collider. The particle, the chi b(3P), is a new way of combining a beauty quark and its antiquark so that they bind together. Like the more famous Higgs particle, the chi b(3P) is a boson. However, whereas the Higgs is not made up of smaller particles, the chi b(3P) combines two very heavy objects via the same 'strong force' which holds the atomic nucleus together. ... > full story

Severe congenital disorder successfully treated in a mouse model for the first time (December 22, 2011) -- Using a mouse model, researchers have for the first time successfully treated a severe congenital disorder in which sugar metabolism is disturbed. Scientists demonstrated that if female mice are given mannose with their drinking water prior to mating and during pregnancy, their offspring will develop normally even if they carry the genetic mutation for the congenital disorder. ... > full story

Jaguar photo shows conservation success in Bolivia (December 22, 2011) -- A dramatic photo of a female jaguar and her two cubs near the Isoso Station of the Santa Cruz-Puerto Suarez Gas Pipeline in Kaa Iya National Park in Bolivia has just been released. The adult jaguar, nicknamed Kaaiyana, has been seen with her cubs in the area for over a month; though conservationists have confirmed she has been a resident in the vicinity for at least six years. ... > full story

Bone marrow and blood stem cell transplant survival rates equal, when donor is unrelated to patient (December 22, 2011) -- Patients who receive a blood stem cell transplant from a donor outside of their family to treat leukemia and other blood diseases are more likely to have graft failure but less likely to experience graft-versus-host disease, a condition caused by the donor cells attacking the recipient's body, if the transplanted blood cells come directly from a donor's bone marrow, rather than from blood stem cells circulating in the donor's bloodstream (PBSCs), according to new research. ... > full story

'Alien' eggs benefit mockingbirds (December 22, 2011) -- Mockingbirds rarely remove the 'alien' eggs parasitic cowbirds lay in their nests because keeping them dilutes the risk of their own eggs being attacked. ... > full story

The mall as a sanctuary: Study finds holiday shopping outlets aren't just shrines to spending (December 22, 2011) -- An international study of holiday shopping and religion finds that dominant religious groups are more likely to experience "consumption mass hysteria" while shoppers in minority religions may view malls and stores much differently: as central meeting places that "can play an active role in the creation of a sacred event." ... > full story

Astronomers discover rare galaxy at dawn of time (December 22, 2011) -- Astronomers have discovered that one of the most distant galaxies known is churning out stars at a shockingly high rate. The blob-shaped galaxy, called GN-108036, is the brightest galaxy found to date at such great distances and is 12.9 billion light-years away. ... > full story

Promising results in mice on needle-free candidate universal vaccine against various flu viruses (December 22, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that an antigen common to most influenza viruses, and commonly referred to as matrix protein 2, when administered under the tongue could protect mice against experimental infection caused by various influenza viruses, including the highly pathogenic avian H5 virus and the pandemic H1 virus. ... > full story

Sensational bird discovery in China (December 22, 2011) -- In June 2011, a team of Chinese and Swedish researchers rediscovered the breeding area for the poorly known Blackthroat Luscinia obscura, in the Qinling mountains, Shaanxi province, north central China. ... > full story

Nanometer-scale growth of cone cells tracked in living human eye (December 22, 2011) -- Vision scientists have come up with a novel way to make the measurements in a living human retina by using information hidden within a commonly used technique called optical coherence tomography. ... > full story

Quantum cats are hard to see: Researchers explain the difficulty of detecting quantum effects (December 22, 2011) -- Researchers can explain why we don't usually see the physical effects of quantum mechanics. ... > full story

We are natural born multi-taskers (December 22, 2011) -- Scientists have found that we are natural-born multi-taskers. They found evidence that we can pay attention to more than one thing at a time. ... > full story

Paint-on solar cells developed (December 22, 2011) -- Imagine if the next coat of paint you put on the outside of your home generates electricity from light -- electricity that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside. Scientists have just created an inexpensive "solar paint" that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy. ... > full story

Severe sepsis can lead to impairment of immune system, study suggests (December 22, 2011) -- An analysis of lung and spleen tissue from patients who died of sepsis revealed certain biochemical, cellular and histological findings that were consistent with immunosuppression, according to a new study. ... > full story

Sensing the deep ocean (December 22, 2011) -- Sensorbots are spherical devices equipped with biogeochemical sensors, that promise to open a new chapter in the notoriously challenging exploration of earth's largest ecosystem -- the ocean. ... > full story

From heterogeneous patient measurements towards earlier diagnosis in Alzheimer's disease (December 22, 2011) -- Medical researchers have developed a decision support tool for objective diagnostics of Alzheimer's disease. The tool compares measurements of a patient to measurements of other persons available in large databases and provides a simple index about the severity of the disease. The project has shown that the tool improves the accuracy of diagnosis and clinicians' confidence about their decision, making earlier diagnosis possible. ... > full story

Which wheats make the best whole-grain cookie doughs? (December 22, 2011) -- Festive cookies, served at year-end holiday gatherings, may in the future be made with a larger proportion of whole-grain flour instead of familiar, highly refined white flour. ... > full story

Do you hear what I hear? Noise exposure surrounds us (December 22, 2011) -- Nine out of 10 city dwellers may have enough harmful noise exposure to risk hearing loss, and most of that exposure comes from leisure activities. ... > full story

Breakthrough in treatment to prevent blindness (December 21, 2011) -- A new study shows a popular treatment for a potentially blinding eye infection is just as effective if given every six months versus annually. This randomized study on trachoma, the leading cause of infection-caused blindness in the world, could potentially treat twice the number of patients using the same amount of medication. ... > full story

The biology behind severe PMS (December 21, 2011) -- Sensitivity to allopregnanolone, a hormone that occurs naturally in the body after ovulation and during pregnancy, changes during the course of the menstrual cycle and is different in women with severe PMS compared with women without PMS complaints. ... > full story

Will Antarctic worms warm to changing climate? (December 21, 2011) -- Researchers are examining tiny worms that inhabit the frigid sea off Antarctica to learn not only how these organisms adapt to the severe cold, but how they will survive as ocean temperatures increase. ... > full story

Pregnant women advised to stay cool for baby's sake: Australian study (December 21, 2011) -- Medical researchers have found a link between increases in temperature and the incidence of stillbirth and shorter pregnancies. ... > full story

Boron nanoribbons reveal surprising thermal properties in bundles (December 21, 2011) -- Researchers looking at the thermal conductivity of bundles boron nanoribbons have found that they have unusually high heat-transfer capabilities. Contrary to past experiments with similar nanomaterial bundles, the study shows that the thermal conductivity of a bundle of boron nanoribbons can be significantly higher than that a single nanoribbon. Experimental results indicate that the geometry of the ribbons is responsible for the higher conductivity and point to potential method for creating a thermal switch. ... > full story

Prejudice comes from a basic human need and way of thinking, new research suggests (December 21, 2011) -- Where does prejudice come from? Not from ideology, say the authors of a new article. Instead, prejudice stems from a deeper psychological need, associated with a particular way of thinking. People who aren't comfortable with ambiguity and want to make quick and firm decisions are also prone to making generalizations about others. ... > full story

Astronomers discover deep-fried planets: Two Earth-sized planets around dying star that has passed the red giant stage (December 21, 2011) -- Two Earth-sized planets have been discovered around a dying star that has passed the red giant stage. The discovery marks the first known case of planets surviving being engulfed by their parent star and may shed new light on the destiny of stellar and planetary systems, including our solar system. ... > full story

How normal cells fuel tumor growth (December 21, 2011) -- A new study has discovered how normal cells in tumors can fuel cancer progression. The study examines what happens when normal cells called fibroblasts in tumors lose an important tumor-suppressor gene. The findings suggest new strategies for controlling tumor growth, they provide insight into the mechanisms that control the co-evolution of cancer cells and their surrounding normal cells in tumors, and they demonstrate how this gene normally suppresses cancer development. ... > full story

Ironing out details of Earth's core: Researchers obtain highest-pressure vibrational spectrum of iron (December 21, 2011) -- Identifying the composition of Earth's core is key to understanding how our planet formed and the current behavior of its interior. While it has been known for many years that iron is the main element in the core, many questions have remained about just how iron behaves under the conditions found deep in the earth. Now, a team led by mineral-physics researchers has homed in on those behaviors by conducting extremely high-pressure experiments on the element. ... > full story

Model to foster new drug development to treat pain and epilepsy developed (December 21, 2011) -- Drawing on X-ray crystallography and experimental data, as well as a software suite for predicting and designing protein structures, a researcher has developed an algorithm that predicts what has been impossible to generate in the laboratory: the conformational changes in voltage-gated sodium channels when they are at rest or actively transmitting a signal in muscle and nerve cells. ... > full story

New method significantly reduces production costs of fuel cells (December 21, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new and significantly cheaper method of manufacturing fuel cells. A noble metal nanoparticle catalyst for fuel cells is prepared using atomic layer deposition. ... > full story

How pregnancy changes a woman's brain (December 21, 2011) -- We know a lot about the links between a pregnant mother's health, behavior, and moods and her baby's cognitive and psychological development once it is born. But how does pregnancy change a mother's brain? ... > full story

Self-healing electronics could work longer and reduce waste (December 21, 2011) -- Engineers have developed a self-healing system that restores electrical conductivity to a cracked circuit in less time than it takes to blink. As a crack propagates, microcapsules filled with liquid metal break open and the liquid fills the gap, restoring electrical flow. The technology is especially attractive for applications where repair is impossible, such as a battery, or finding the source of a failure is difficult, such as an air- or spacecraft. ... > full story

Cerebrospinal fluid test can pick up Alzheimer's before symptoms appear (December 21, 2011) -- Analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid can detect whether a person has Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear. Researchers have studied biomarkers that offer more reliable diagnosis and, in the longer term, the possibility of effective new treatments. ... > full story

Do our medicines boost pathogens? (December 21, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a parasite that not only had developed resistance against a common medicine, but at the same time had become better in withstanding the human immune system. With some exaggeration: Medical practice helped in developing a superbug. For it appears the battle against the drug also armed the bug better against its host. ... > full story

Increase in resting heart rate over 10-year period linked with increased risk of heart disease death (December 21, 2011) -- In a study that enrolled nearly 30,000 apparently healthy men and women, those who had an increase in their resting heart rate over a 10-year period had an increased risk of death from all causes and from ischemic heart disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

New eco-friendly foliar spray provides natural anti-freeze (December 21, 2011) -- A new, biodegradable foliar/floral spray that increases plant resistance to both cold damage and cold mortality has been introduced to the commercial market. The spray improved cold tolerance by approximately 2°F to 9°F, depending on the variety of plant and the duration/ intensity of frost or freeze. Use of the non-toxic spray could add the equivalent of approximately 0.25 to almost 1.0 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone to the cold hardiness rating of plants. ... > full story

Synesthesia linked to a hyper-excitable brain (December 21, 2011) -- Hyper-excitability' in regions of the brain may underlie synesthesia, an unusual condition where some people experience a 'blending of the senses', new researchers suggest. ... > full story